


Peters Graduation

by AlissaShawWrites



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Cute, Fix-It, Fluff, Good Peter, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Tony Stark Coparenting Peter Parker, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Parent Tony Stark, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Precious Peter Parker, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2020-03-07 06:51:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18867979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlissaShawWrites/pseuds/AlissaShawWrites
Summary: Peter is finally graduating high school after the longest and most stressful four years of his life, and best of all, he gets to say a speech in front of everyone at the ceremony, including his mentor Tony Stark.





	Peters Graduation

**Author's Note:**

> Fuck Endgame and that BS so here's my babies being precious.

The day was finally upon them. The day Peter finally graduated from High School. At points, it had almost seemed like he would never arrive; yet there he, May, and Tony were, piled into one of Tony’s favourite Mercedes-Benz on their way to his graduation. Peter sat in the backseat, fidgeting with anything he could find, straightening his tie every time he so much as shifted in his seat, and watching the buildings pass through the window. 

Tony seemed to notice Peter’s childlike fidgeting and spared a glance back at him through the rearview mirror. “You nervous back there, kiddo?” 

“A little,” he answered honestly; looking down at his lap. “Tonight might be the last night I ever get to see this school and a lot of people in it. What if I never get to see Mr. Harrington again? Or some of my friends? Oh and Liz is going to be there tonight as a special guest. What if she's still mad at me? I mean everyone knows I’m Spiderman now so she knows I’m the one who put her dad away. Oh god, she hates me!”

May and Tony side-eyed each other cautiously before she turned right around to face her nephew. “Don’t worry about all of that. I’m sure she knows why you had to do what you did. She’s a smart girl. As for everything else; well, I’m sure most things will work out. I’m sure you’ll see everyone around New York, maybe in university. Even if you don’t; it just makes chance meetings down the road all the sweeter.”

“I guess,” Peter smiled. “Thanks, May. That makes me feel a lot better.”

Tony chuckled softly. “I thought the speech would be the thing giving you a hard time.”

“Nope,” he laughed. “I’m actually really excited about that.” 

“Are you sure?” Tony questioned. “Being valedictorian is a huge honour and I haven't even heard you practicing your speech. Maybe you should try it out on your aunt and me right now.”

“No. I worked really hard on it and I know you guys will love it but it’s a surprise. I’m not going to ruin it.”

“Fine, fine,” he glanced at him once more in the rearview mirror with a proud smile on his face. 

The rest of the drive was lively and upbeat; just the same as their arrival. The parents and students mingled in the crowded auditorium waiting for the ceremony to start. For a few moments, the air became stale while May and Tony watched Liz approaching Peter; however, when they embraced each other tightly, the atmosphere felt rejuvenated again. 

The ceremony itself seemed to go by quickly. There were video collages and pictures of big events that happened throughout the years; Peter saving the decathlon team being one of the highlights. Then came special awards; of which Peter won three. However; the most memorable came when Peter was finally called up to make his speech. The last of the night; the one to leave the students and start them in their new lives as adults. 

A hush fell over the auditorium as Peter began to speak. “Hello everyone,” he chuckled nervously out at the crowd. “I’m so glad to see so many happy and familiar faces out there tonight. It’s funny to think that we’ve come this far and are still all so close. When I look across in this room, I see a group of students, graduates, and most importantly; friends.

“Nothing is more important; especially at this point in our lives. Not everyone is good at math or art, or being social. We are all very different people from one another. We all have different goals and hobbies; different paths we must take. And in this everchanging and threatening world that we live in; you never know what might happen next. Sometimes it’s a normal day and in the next second, there’s an alien invasion or you’re fighting your homecoming dates father on the outside of a mid-flight, stealth, aircraft. Still, super sorry about that one Liz!”

A few people let out soft laughter in the crowd; Liz herself being one of them. 

“That’s why,” he continued; now more focused. “What I want you to take away from tonight is that your path is your own to walk but we still have to be there for each other. Rely on each other, help each other. This world is sometimes a scary place to live in, but together we can rebuild and thrive.

“In fact, it is because I believe so strongly in this, that I’d like to take a few moments to say a special thank you to two of the most important people in my life. Some of you may know this already, though a great many of you won't; so allow me to explain. I lost my parents when I was very young. Young enough to barely even remember their faces or their voices. I was taken in by my aunt and uncle; however, he was killed a few years later and,” his voice shook as his gaze lowered to the podium he was gripping so tightly, his knuckles turned white. “I watched it happen. Then it was just me and my aunt, all alone. I felt like I had lost everything all over again. It was really hard, I had to take time off school and it felt like I was never going to smile again.

“But my aunt was always there for me, even as she was grieving, herself. She lifted me up, told me everything was going to be okay and made sure of it. She was the only breadwinner, a widower, and stuck with a child that wasn’t her own. May I add, since you all know who I am, that she wasn't just raising a normal teenager either. She was raising one who regularly almost got themselves killed, and had a metabolism so fast he could probably eat an entire restaurant clean out of food and still feel hungry. It wasn’t always easy to keep food on the table or pay for the many, many backpacks I lost, but no matter what, she always made things work.”

The tears began to fall as he lifted his gaze to the people sitting in front of him. He scanned the audience until he met May’s eyes. “She loved me, fed me, raised me, and I wasn’t even her own. She never had to bring me into her life, and she certainly didn’t have to put her whole life on hold for me, but she did anyway, and she always did it with a smile on her face, even through the bad times. There is no way I can ever thank her properly for everything she’s ever done so at the very least, I’d like to try now. Thank you, May.Thank you for absolutely everything. I know I don’t say it enough, but I love you so much. I wouldn’t have been even half the man I am today without the time and effort you put into raising me.” 

Even from a distance, he could see the tears glistening in her eyes which reminded him of his own stray tears. He wiped them away before continuing. “As for the second figure in my life that keeps me sain; though I can’t be sure he’d say I do the same for him, is my mentor Tony Stark. I’m sure word has gotten around that he’s here tonight and I’d like to be the first to say,” he paused, took a deep breath and made direct eye contact with Tony. He then yelled out an overly excited, “Oh my god! Can you believe Tony Stark is here?! Best night of my life!”

He allowed the soft laughter and the attention on Tony to turn back to him. “All kidding aside though, it means so much to me to have him sitting there. He; like my aunt, has walked into my life through a wave of unfortunate events and pure circumstance. He could have left at any time; locking the door behind him as he went, but he didn’t. There was no reason for him to stay and remain as a prominent figure in my life. No one said he had to care for me, or take an interest in anything I did, or even to continue talking to me. Yet here he is, still watching over me and keeping me out of trouble, even when I did the most frustrating teenager-like things.

“He did this all, not out of obligation, but out of love. Somewhere down the line, I stopped thinking of him as my mentor, and instead,” Peter paused. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Tony. Out of fear? Perhaps. Instead, he turned his attention downwards once more to the death grip he had on the podium. “He soon became like the father I never got to have. And I hope, at some point, I became like a son to him.”

The tears were forming faster now and he had to take a moment to wipe them away on the sleeve of his gown. “Thank you, Mr. Stark. Thank you for being there for me and never asking for anything in return. I only hope that someday I’ll make you proud.” 

When he finally looked back up, he was shocked to see so many of the students, teachers, and parents also wiping tears from their eyes; though he couldn't bring himself to look at Tony yet. Something in him told him Tony would be in a similar state. He just knew it. 

“So why does any of this matter to all of you? Because it just goes to show that family can come from anywhere. There’s a saying that we hear a lot growing up. ‘Blood is thicker than water.’ However; that isn’t the full saying. The correct saying is, ‘the blood of the covenant is thicker than the waters of the womb.’ This means a lot of things, but to put it in the simplest terms I can; the family you choose is just as important, if not more important than just being related. Sometimes families are messy, dysfunctional, or sometimes you don’t have much family left biologically. That doesn’t mean that you have not family.

“Remember that; if nothing else about tonight. You will have a lot of families in your lifetime. Blood, work, school, friends, and so many more. Treat them right and make sure they treat you with the same respect. 

“We’re all about to step into very uncertain territory. Some, that means moving out, for others, it’s the fact that their kids are moving out. Even the teachers in here. Next school year will be faced with new students and the absence of others. But no matter what, we are all one big team and at the very least, that’s one family you should be able to count on.

“Well, I’m sure you all want to go home now so I’ll wrap it up. Good luck everyone. Good luck with whatever it is you do. College, university, apprenticeship, your own business, comedy, Youtube; it doesn’t matter. Just do your best and enjoy yourself, and don’t settle for anything less.” 

Not knowing what else to do, Peter bowed and walked gracelessly off the stage as he attempted to reach his seat as fast as possible. He almost couldn’t hear the applause over the sudden anxiety he felt. MJ and Ned excitedly welcomed him back with their own praise before Peter felt a tap on his shoulder. 

When he turned, Flash was smiling behind him. “Good one Parker. I’m actually glad you were valedictorian over me. My speech would've been shit compared to yours.”

“I’m sure it would've been,” Peter tried to find the right words as to not hurt Flash’s feelings but MJ had another idea. 

“Shit,” she said nonchalantly. “You’re right, it would've been shit. But I do kind of wish you had gotten it. I want to hear it. Let me guess, it was going to be a five-minute long love confession to Spiderman before you lost your chance right?”

“No,” Flash snorted, crossing his arms. “Parker already knows I love his masked alter ego. I don't think I need to admit it to my dad, thank you very much.”

Peter chuckled to himself. “Well, thanks Flash. I’ll let Spiderman know. Maybe you can actually meet him at your party tonight. Provided that I still have an invitation?”

“Oh, fuck yeah Parker. This is gonna be the most kickass party of the century.”

“Can't wait.”

The rest of the ceremony was closed off by a short and sweet speech from the principal before the mad dash to get out before the crowd began. Peter took his time pushing through the horde, being in no real hurry to find out how Tony felt about his speech. However; before he even registered that he had made it to them, he was engulfed in a two-way hug. 

“Oh Peter,” May sobbed into his shoulder. “You were right! That was amazing! I loved every second of it! I love you so much kiddo. I always wanted you.”

“Thanks, May. I love you too; so much. You don't even know.”

Tony smiled as he pulled himself away from the super strength hug. “I love you too kid.” He placed a very firm hand on Peters' shoulders and made sure to wait until their eyes met. “And you listen to me when I say this. There has never been one day that you haven't made me proud.”

“Even the day I almost sunk the ferry and got people hurt?”

“Even then. You messed up a little; it happens. I made way worse mistakes. I’m still proud of your spirit, your compassion, your willingness to help others. Everything you are, everything you have become, and everything you will do; I’m proud of all of it, son.”

“S-Son?”

“Of course I think of you as my son.”

Peter dove back into Tony's arms with a fresh wave of tears forming in his eyes. “Thank you, Mr. Stark!”

“For the love of god please call me Tony for once in your life.”

“Never! May raised me to be polite.”

“I did,” she agreed with a smile. 

Tony sighed. “Fine. Come on, let's get out of here. May and I have a surprise for you before you run off to your last high school party.”

“You got me something? You didn’t have to do that! I just graduated high school.”

“Too late. Decisions have been made. Besides; you deserved it.” 

They made their way back out to the parking lot, avoiding as many of the cars as they could as they struggled to exit the tiny lot. When they reached the car Tony triumphantly exclaimed, “there you go kid. Congrats on graduating.”

“What? If it in the trunk or something? I never saw a gift.”

Tony tossed the keys to Peter; who caught them on Spidey instincts alone. It took a moment to register but when he did, he looked up to the two adults with wide eyes. “You don’t mean-”

“The cars all yours kiddo.”

“But it's your favourite! And I mean, a car? That's too much Mr. Stark! I can't accept this!”

“No take-backsies. It's yours now. You’ve gotta make a Stark worthy entrance at both the party and university you know.”

“I-I-I.”

“Go have fun. And I’ll see you in the lab tomorrow. As long as you’re not to hung over of course.” He let out a small but audible gasp as May elbowed him in the side. “Sorry, not that. No drinking. But if you do drink you call me okay? You’re not drinking and driving.”

“Thank you so much, Mr. Stark. I can’t thank you enough.”

“Hey don't thank me. Thank your aunt. She mentioned getting you a present.”

May raised her eyebrow. “I said a present and suggested a new game console or something. Not a car. We just happened to settle on a car because you wouldn’t let me talk you out of a hugely expensive gift.”

Tony shrugged, “I still don’t see the problem.”

“Of course you don't”

Peter suddenly hugged them once again. “You guys are the best! Thank you! I promise I won't be home too late!”

They wished him good luck and said their goodbyes before Peter hopped in the front seat and drove off.


End file.
